ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference has six of its volleyball programs appearing in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Preseason Top 25 Poll that was released Monday. All six of the ranked Big Ten schools are 12th or higher in the AVCA balloting, while the Big Ten is tied for the most schools from one conference to be ranked in the preseason poll.
Two-time defending Big Ten champion Wisconsin, which has also advanced to the NCAA national semifinals the past two seasons, will start this year ranked No. 2, having earned 15 first-place votes. Nebraska, which reached the 2020 NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, is next among Big Ten programs at No. 5, followed by seventh-ranked Minnesota and No. 8 Purdue, which ties its highest-ever preseason ranking (also in 2014) following a run to the 2020 NCAA Elite Eight.
Ohio State and Penn State are just outside the top 10, ranked No. 11 and 12, respectively. In addition, two other Big Ten schools — Illinois and Michigan — are receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll.
Big Ten teams will open the 2021 season on Friday, Aug. 27, highlighted by a handful of matches as part of the Big Ten/Big 12 Challenge. Minnesota’s opening-night Challenge matchup with No. 10 Baylor in Madison, Wis., will air on ESPNU (9:30 p.m. ET), while Big Ten Network will televise a tripleheader of Big Ten volleyball action on Aug. 28, with Nebraska hosting Kansas State (5 p.m. ET), Wisconsin entertaining Baylor in another top-10 clash (7 p.m. ET) and Minnesota tangling with TCU in Madison (9:30 p.m. ET).
Those broadcasts kick off a record-setting 53 matches that will be televised nationally this season on the Big Ten Network, ESPN2 and ESPNU. All Big Ten Network matches can also be seen through its digital extension, the FOX Sports app, delivering live events and on-demand programming to Big Ten Network customers via the web, smartphones and tablets. All matches on ESPN networks will also be available to stream on the ESPN App via connected devices.
All non-televised Big Ten matches are scheduled to appear on Big Ten Network+, a subscription service for non-televised live events. In the coming weeks, additional matches are expected to be assigned to both Big Ten Network and Big Ten Network+, with the latter also offering sport-specific packages for fans only interested in viewing volleyball events. Details and subscription information can be found at btnplus.com.
Back for a second season is At The Net, the Big Ten Network’s multiplatform, behind-the-scenes look at the elite volleyball players and programs across the conference. Fans can also find the latest updates by following the Big Ten’s volleyball Twitter feed (@B1GVolleyball) and the Big Ten Network’s volleyball-focused Instagram account (@B1GVolleyball). Throughout the season, both accounts will be home to original videos, highlights and custom content featuring some of the most competitive and exciting volleyball in the nation.
The full AVCA Preseason Top 25 poll is as follows:
2021 AVCA Preseason Top 25 Poll
1. Texas
2. WISCONSIN
3. Kentucky
4. Washington
5. NEBRASKA
6. Florida
7. MINNESOTA
8. PURDUE
9. Pittsburgh
10. Baylor
11. OHIO STATE
12. PENN STATE
13. Louisville
14. Oregon
15. BYU
16. Western Kentucky
17. UCLA
18. Washington State
19. Utah
20. San Diego
21. Stanford
22. Pepperdine
23. Rice
24. Georgia Tech
25. Notre Dame
Receiving Votes – ILLINOIS, MICHIGAN
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August 17, 2021 at 03:19AM
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Six Big Ten Volleyball Programs In AVCA Preseason Top 25 Poll - Big Ten Conference
"six" - Google News
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